Water resistant hair pouch

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for a water-resistant hair pouch that is secure, lightweight, easy to use, and capable of preventing tangles and water damage often encountered due to recreational swimming in pools, water parks, lakes, oceans, and the like. The water-resistant hair pouch comprises a pouch that tapers from an opening to an apex. The opening provides access to a water-resistant cavity inside the pouch. An elastic loop coupled with the pouch, adjacent to the opening, is configured to be wrapped around a ponytail that is inserted through the opening into the water-resistant cavity. A drawstring facilitates cinching the opening around the base of the ponytail to minimize water exposure to the hair, or maintain a dry state of the hair, during immersion in water. Straps are attached to opposite sides of the pouch to enable a practitioner to secure the ponytail within a folded configuration of the pouch.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ponytail protector for protecting long hair from tangles and water damage during recreational swimming, the ponytail protector comprising:
 a first strap and a second strap that are parallelly extended;   a first attachment and a second attachment that join opposite ends of the first strap and the second strap;   an opening defined by the first strap and the second strap;   a first ribbon joined to the first attachment; and   a second ribbon joined to the second attachment.   
     
     
         2 . The ponytail protector of  claim 1 , wherein the opening is configured to receive a group of hair such as a ponytail. 
     
     
         3 . The ponytail protector of  claim 1 , wherein the first strap and the second strap each includes an embedded bendable wire suitable for retaining a configuration of the first strap and the second strap. 
     
     
         4 . The ponytail protector of  claim 1 , wherein the first attachment comprises a stitching that joins the first ribbon to a first end of the first strap and the second strap; and wherein the second attachment comprises a stitching that joins the second ribbon to a second end of the first strap and the second strap. 
     
     
         5 . The ponytail protector of  claim 1 , wherein the first strap and the second strap are constructed of any of a flexible material. 
     
     
         6 . The ponytail protector of  claim 5 , wherein the flexible cloth material is coated with a thin layer of neoprene, or other similar material. 
     
     
         7 . The ponytail protector of  claim 5 , wherein a multiplicity of embossed shapes are arranged along the first strap and the second strap. 
     
     
         8 . The ponytail protector of  claim 7 , wherein the multiplicity of embossed shapes are configured to resist allowing the ponytail to slip out of the opening during securing the ponytail between the first strap and the second strap. 
     
     
         9 . The ponytail protector of  claim 1 , wherein the first ribbon and the second ribbon are comprised of a flexible cloth material. 
     
     
         10 . The ponytail protector of  claim 9 , wherein the flexible cloth material is coated with a thin layer of neoprene, or other similar material. 
     
     
         11 . The ponytail protector of  claim 9 , wherein the first ribbon and the second ribbon are comprised of a blend of polyester and spandex. 
     
     
         12 . The ponytail protector of  claim 9 , wherein the first ribbon and the second ribbon includes a fun or aesthetic pattern. 
     
     
         13 . A method for protecting long hair from tangles and water damaged during recreational swimming, the method comprising:
 drawing a ponytail through an opening between a first strap and a second strap;   pulling opposite ends of the first strap and the second strap to pinch the ponytail therebetween;   sliding the first strap and the second strap to an end of the ponytail;   rolling the opposite ends to manipulate the ponytail into a hair roll;   tightening the hair roll adjacent to a base of the ponytail;   pulling a first ribbon and a second ribbon in opposite directions around the base to form a hair bun, the first ribbon and the second ribbon being attached to the opposite ends;   tying the first ribbon and the second ribbon together to secure the hair bun; and   forming the first ribbon and the second ribbon into a bow.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein forming the first ribbon and the second ribbon includes tying the first ribbon and the second ribbon into a desirable knot. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein rolling the opposite ends includes causing the ponytail to wrap around the first strap and the second strap. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein tightening the hair roll includes tightening the hair roll into a position in front of the base. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein pulling the first ribbon and the second ribbon includes pulling the first ribbon and the second ribbon rearward around the base. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein pulling the first ribbon and the second ribbon rearward around the base further includes pulling the first ribbon and the second ribbon in opposite directions underneath a front of the hair bun such that the first ribbon and the second ribbon extend forward of the base. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein tying the first ribbon and the second ribbon together includes first inserting either the first ribbon or the second ribbon through the opening.